Staff Development
Framework
Project Stretch adopts a Constructivist paradigm. To understand and develop this model in concrete practices for the classroom is not an easy task. The task, conducted in collaboration with the Project Stretch resource staff, requires a great deal of reflection by teachers. Teaching is a historical practice. In other words, the way that computers have been used in the classroom is changing over time along similar transformations that have occurred in technology and literacy. Therefore, teaching requires a continuous dialogue with the past--with the history of ideas about teaching technology and literacy. The starting point of this conversation is the actual practice of each teacher in the classroom.
Three main questions need to be asked:
By asking these questions in different ways, teachers will develop an understanding of the relationship between theory and practice. What is expected as a result of this reflective process is that theory will enlighten practice and practice will question theory, thereby creating the possibility for the transformation of theory and the development of better practices. Hence, in our training sessions, our Staff Development Guide and in the lab sessions with the Project Stretch resource staff, situations will be created for teachers to analyze their practices and produce an understanding of the ideas that underlie them. These ideas are always related to:
Understanding these ideas is an important step for teachers in maintaining control over the decisions that affect their professional practices. According to Dewey1, four attitudes are important for teachers to cultivate via the reflective process:
The main principle that will guide this dialogue is the collective belief that teachers learn by teaching, by documenting their work, and by reflecting upon it. The staff development process proposed by Project Stretch is based on the following strategies:
Identification of themes to study as a result of the classroom practices.
So, we are inviting teachers to reflect upon their classroom practices. This reflection will be developed in steps:
Process
Initial Training
The initial training at Project Stretch takes place at the beginning of each year. Teachers, coordinators, and staff from all participating sites meet at the Graduate Center to gain familiarity with the Project, including its history, goals, and pedagogical framework. This training runs for about one week, approximately five hours per day. The sessions cover theories of learning, literacy and electronic literacy concepts, and practical implications/reflections.
The sessions take place in a computer lab, so teachers receive hands-on technical experience using the software they will be using during their teaching. During the following weeks, Stretch resource staff members meet with teachers individually at their sites to begin planning activities for students. At the end of the initial training, teachers have an understanding of how to begin working with their own students in their own labs.
On-Site Sessions
Once the initial training is over and the teacher begins sessions with students, a staff member from Stretch continues to visit the site. These visits take place periodically over the year. During the visits, the resource staff participates in the session with the students (helping in any way necessary) and spends time meeting with the teacher outside of the session. These meetings usually last 45 minutes to an hour, either before or after the session with the students. The meetings consist of reflection on the lessons as well as planning for future lessons.
Moodle
The Project Stretch moodle (http://stretchmoodle.gc.cuny.edu) offers teachers and Project Stretch staff the opportunity for continued collaboration and discussion online. Moodle is an acronym for modular object oriented dynamic learning environment. As a dynamic learning environment, the moodle helps teachers create effective online learning environments that can enhance students' ability to learn through participation in an online community. Through collaborative creation of activities for students, the teachers and staff can reflect on issues related to pedagogy, didactics, technology and literacy. In addition to planning and reflecting on the activities, the resource staff can also participate in the activities with the students online. Once these activities are implemented with the students, the work is saved on the moodle and can be used as a resource with the students and between the teacher and stretch staff.
Follow-up Training Sessions
Several times throughout the school year, Project Stretch invites teachers back to the Graduate Center to meet as a group. These meetings serve various purposes such as developing communication between and among the teachers, discussing issues that come up in the lab, discussing management issues, and further exploring the pedagogical framework of Stretch. Teachers may also receive additional technical assistance to help with any problems they may have and to help them prepare for future lessons.
Training Guide
The Staff Development Guide is meant to help Project Stretch teachers reflect on their practices, either individually or with other teachers. The activities in the guide cover theories of learning, electronic literacy, and traditional literacy. In addition to being used during the initial training, teachers can refer back to the Guide throughout their teaching to reflect on the main ideas and principles and how these relate to their own teaching practices.
